1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a container handling machine, such as a container filling machine for filling bottles, cans, or similar containers with a liquid beverage, and a device for gripping and holding containers in a container handling machine.
2. Background Information
Background information is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily admit that subsequently mentioned information and publications are prior art.
The present application relates to a device for gripping and holding containers, for example bottles, for example PET bottles, in a container treatment or handling machine. The gripping device may have a carrier body that can be attached to a transport element and may include spring-loaded gripper arms which can swivel thereon.
Container handling or treatment systems and machines may include such systems or machines as filling machines, labeling machines, inspection machines, or rinsing machines. The containers referred to above can, for example, be used as bottles for liquids, for example for drinks. The containers, such as bottles, can comprise a transparent or translucent material, for example glass or a translucent plastic such as PET. However it is also conceivable that the containers comprise other materials and can be filled with other filling materials.
With filling machines, for example, there is a wealth of solutions to guide and keep the bottles on their path through the machine. During this process, the bottles are usually partially rotated, but in any case they must be or should be guided and gripped securely. Some grippers, for example, may be disposed in a rotary conveyor in which pivoted gripper arms are provided on a carrier plate. These gripper arms may comprise, between their other ends lying opposite the gripping jaws, a spring or a compression spring which forces these gripper arms into the closed position. The bottles can be inserted through entry tapers at the front of the gripper arms by compressing the spring and pulled out again by the reverse process.
Some gripping and holding devices may comprise gripper arms that can be replaced inexpensively, simply and even possibly without the need or desire for tools. This replacement can possibly be achieved by positioning, between bearing ends of the gripper arms, a fixing element, with the bearing ends comprising an edge recess. By turning the gripper arms into an extreme open position after first relieving the spring tension, the gripper arms are released from their fixing and so can be removed easily and without the need or desire for tools. For attaching it to the transport element, the carrier body comprises deformable mounting lugs made from an elastic material, which mounting lugs bring about a clamping contact with fixing elements of the transport element. The fixing elements comprise flat heads or plain washers to stop the deformable mounting lugs from falling out.